1/1 LowViz Lurker

Welcome aboard. Even though I am not a hardcore fan of the transformers I like this line. (and the MP) Binaltech/alternators = the "1/48 yammies" of the transformer toys. (in terms of details and realism in alt mode etc) I'm definately going to be getting mirage. I still need to get grimlock. ahh so far behind everyone...

Yeah but I'm anti-social in general not just a fan of macross. Your mother won't let me be your friend because she thinks I'm wierd when I tried to get her to watch macross plus with me. Don't want to stress her out so I'm keeping my distance. The advice I gave will work if you're not me. They just have to see the series to understand it or they will make jokes about the robot's penis, your maturity level, or think you are strange because it reminded them of those silly transformer robots. (not knowing that these are mecha with pilots in a series that is a much more realistic world than a typical kids show)

I only have a small collection so nobody really says anything. But if they do: My justification for owning them has to do with the fact that as a mecha series I think macross got the realism right and I don't like to think it was aimed at kids but more teens-adults. (unlike the transformers) And the show had to be animated only because that's what japan does instead of making big budget live action movies so I explain to them what it is about and that the toys are based on a show in the 80s about a futuristic space war and these machines are the space fighters used to fight against the aliens in it but unlike star wars (I have to mention it because it is well known and familiar to most) they used robotic machines since the aliens are just giant sized humans. It's like with alternators: because they have realistic car modes, and look like models when transformed (no fluro paint, or garish colors, to indicate children play with them) you can display these and show them off to people as if they were merely a model. (but they are not, you can touch them and not worry. It shouldn't be a problem that they are toys since these toys are based upon real vehicles) The trick is to display them in a dramatic fashion that looks exciting or recreates the feel from the show. You don't want to just have these lying around as if you play around with them and stuff or that will be the impression others get. For those who do not know what series they are from or to those who don't read comics, or are not into fantasy or science fiction I can understand them thinking you are a wierdo but only to the extent that they could never apreciate the show to begin with so automatically think you are an adult who just plays with toys and stuff. I've seen toys in toy catalogues and while browsing in the toy sections and a lot of the more kiddy stuff I would not be interested in. I think of the high end valkyrie toys as more like completed models (just of fictional machines) that you don't build, something that might be interesting to an adult who would find that stuff in a hobby/gift store, along with model planes or maybe board games and dungeouns and dragons type diecast figurines, more than at kid's toy store. For the friends who make jokes about it, buy them one as a gift and maybe they might secretly like it. (get them the 1/48 fast packed valk and show them the details) Get them into watching macross, and maybe show them macross plus and turn them into a valkoholic. I find that if you are not familiar with the series or comic of where something is from you tend to think of the thing as just "some kids toy". But adults still read comics, watch science fiction movies, and can still watch a kids movie (harry potter, lord of the rings? Toy Story?) and still apreciate the thing as an adult even if it was aimed at a younger audience. In a different universe if the series was more well known and say your mom was into it in her young days, I bet it would not seem at all strange. It's more a generational thing imo. If something doesn't get exposure and is underground it seems sort of nerdy and esoteric, and too underground for the mainstream to not think strange. But as more people get into it, thier attitude changes and you are not seen as a fanatical, strange person once they seen or are familiar with the series that the models or toys where based upon. Some people collect stamps, sports cards mugs, mickey mouse and disney related merchandise, for others it is those old train sets, or into remote controlled cars, but for me it's macross mecha. (which is just not something you would expect anyone to be familiar with if they don't watch anime) But if you show them the series, ask them what they think of it, maybe that perception will change. I don't think there is any point in hiding in the closet about your love for it, as it is nothing to be ashamed of, as I mentioned the show really doesn't seemed aimed at children or anything.

The trees in space must have been genetically modified by the pc to withstand that environment. heh Good custom. A fast packed camo valk would look good near a monster and some destroids with a ground mecha theme. (forget fighter modes with FP w camo though) This is why I hope the toynami 1/100 line has some destroids with it to go with the 1/100 koenig monster. And also that they keep them cheap so I can custom a few of the valks to have green paintschemes like the banpresto.

The new pics of SS look pretty good. How come they don't ever show gerwalk mode? just joking TF fans... I wonder if they will make it weathered and battledamaged and stuff for the US? SS after he gets burnt by Grimlock's flames. It's japan. Not surprising really. lol But the same could be said about how in the west we have no probs with marketing violent imagery in childrens hobbies like videogames, right? Won't those violent images destroy thier mind, rape thier inocence, and make serial killers out of us when we go out and buy a gun and shoot people if they piss us off in adult life? And then when there is even a hint of sex, there is massive controversy (the hot coffee mod for gta for example) When money is involved, morals go right out the door no matter what culture.

Good thing they are going to be improving the shoulder in later releases. If anyone buys those, a review comparing them to the older one would be great. Toynami might not be all that bad, (I'm looking forward to the 1/100 macross line) just that the MPC macross stuff, when weighed against the competition.... (it's not always true that you get what you pay for, sometimes it's just overpriced - and no jokes about us being tightasses who "need to get three jobs and ask our bosses for pay rises" to buy a toy )

Thanks I would love to see what could be done for mospeada in small scale. (whatever scale is big enough for PT) The overall impression I get is that these are aimed at people who couldn't afford a yamato or want a small scale collection of valks. They are competing more against the banpresto than the yamato. (people who had thier minds set on the yammies are still going to continue buying them as if nothing happened) For me I will be getting them to pose next to the 1/100 monster. (hoping they do the destroids or non transforming stuff - eg zentradi fighter pod for example with retractable gear.) See the thing about small scale is it lets us see some of the more bigger mecha that ordinarily aren't really that complex or detailed that they would warrant a massive scale to begin with. (they end up being action figure size and easy to hold.) If they try to vary what they release it increases the appeal of the 1/100 line and people are more likley to want to get into it. (to get matching scales) Because I don't have much faith in QC for MPC or anything complex I think it could work for toynami since they need to consider thier limits. No point buying a MPC for loads of cash and then crying about how it is too fragile to transform or heavy to pose. If it falls apart, that defeats the purpose of wanting one imo. Sure they try to cram in the detail but since it is a transforming toy you need to handle it at least. I think if they just start small, (enough detail for the size) and then gradually work thier way up to a large scale later, they might be able to pull off a proper MPC. (that is if the small stuff makes enough for them to go there and the QC improves) This way if they get around to doing another batch of 1/55 they at least learn from the mistakes, and make improvements rather than repeating the mistakes, and hoping people just ignore the flaws. As for price: I would love to hear people's impressions and reviews of it. Maybe even do a side by side comparison between this and the banpresto. Take the price into consideration and list improvements you would like to see in a toy for that price. (consider other similar scale non-macross transformable toys as a nice comparison with it in the review) I agree. I would like to see fast packs as a bundle (discounted if bought with the valk) the way they did it for banprestos. I think it would be best to just have tv versions without FP like the CF, cheaper then the FP DYRL valks. I don't need a fancy Toynami box just for FP. And if they do a DYRL (without the FP) release, then make that as cheap as the tv valk without the fp. GBP is another story. I could accept that as seperate. Small scale GBP next to a bunch of 1/100 destroids towered over by the monster would make a nice display.

I use HLJ more as a last resort. As others mentioned, if you are patient it isn't too bad. But if you want speed maybe try elsewhere. So far I've had no really bad experiences with them.

That side on pic is more what I like. But if it isn't doable (due to the landing gear needing it) I will still buy it. I had this dream last night that I owned one.

I think the version this uncut one is, is the one where you get everything. Someone correct me if I am wrong, there are like 3 versions right? -pg13. I think they cut the chun li shower scene out completely. I think this was the one they gave away as a free bonus on the Xbox "Street fighter Anniversary" collection, which are a set of SFIII games and Super SF series) -m. I saw this one on vhs all those years ago. Shows chun li's tits and ass and it is well animated how they kinda jiggle off her chest -the uncut one the japanese got (have not seen this so I can't comment on it) I will probably get this because I have never heard the japanese audio before. (this has both so I will feel complete) I agree with the guy who said they should have done this from the beginning. It couldn't have come sooner.

I loved this when I first saw it. Just pure fight scene after another with very little story. Sort of like the van damm movie Bloodsport only with anime videogame characters with special moves. Chun li shower scene was great too. That is the definative version of chun li that I imagine. And the brutal cammy attempted assasination scene is great. Ouch. I can totally see now why capcom borrowed a few of the elements from the animated movie when they went into making the alpha series of SF games. I think the movie captured the feel of what one on one fighting (no official rules) should be like if it were animated and you put those videogame characters in a story setting. (Ryu isn't so much as touring the world looking for strong fighters as just roaming around. And ken's giving up of the red headband to treat a cut on ryu's head makes so much sense) If you are a fan of fighting games or street fighter in general, and haven't seen the animated movie yet, do it! You won't regret it. The fighting is well animated and fights take place in a natural way. (not like in say dragon ball z where you have lots of talking and taunting before doing anything) eg -Vega confronts chun li with the intention to kill as an assasin (not a cage match or part of a tournament) -Zangief wrestles blanka as part of a show for all the crime bosses -Guile is merely out to kick bison's ass for revenge (you can't say they were being unfaithful to the game ) -chunli isn't really interested in the fighting so much as catching bison (much more about her doing her duty. Maybe she could team up with Jackie Chan in a police story movie) -Cammy, like vega, is used as some assasin (clearly in the game we are not aware of the loss of memory being due to mind control) -Bison of course is just perfect as the head of an evil organisation but in the movie it seems the focus isn't just on fighting skill but an ability to mind control and levitate, using people as mind controlled puppets. Much more menacing in the movie imo. In the later Alpha series of games they even gave him a teleport move, possibly an influence from all his powers in the movie) -Dhalsim totally fits his game character by relying on powers and ranged attacks, which is funny to watch as he frustrates honda with all kinds of magic. I think in general the fighting scenes all fit well together. It is exactly what the game is about but puts each character in the situation where you would naturally see them up against each other - not of them entering a tournament and forced to fight but just them crossing paths. (although I found it hard to believe T.Hawk would go to so much trouble to seek out ken just for Glory and Honor of defeating him. Seemed kinda silly. But when ryu encounters fei long it isn't as if ryu was picking fights with the intention to seek tough people to beat up kind of thing, it just happened they meet) What would be good is if they made an anime sequel to SFII Animated movie and told us what happened after the events of Shadowlaw organisation being destroyed. Like a SFIII animated movie or something. I find that the story in Street Fighter Alpha games was good in that it fleshed out the characters more. That's what I would like to see in follow up animated movie version. (some of the more interesting characters like Gen and Akuma would make for a great story - in the alpha games they pretty much rivals, although Akuma looks to have the edge) I saw the SF Alpha animated movie and didn't think it was as good as the original SFII animated movie. As for the hollywood live action version: ahaha I would watch that just to laugh at it. Kylie Minogue looks good as cammy though!

Looks beautiful. Makes me wish there was an official release of a two seater. From a glance it does look used and a little worn.

The speaker pods have rounds that penetrate the armor of the mecha (with the bullets being speakers that open up after penetration) and that is how those beings are able to hear it. (sort of like a "daedalus attack" with a speaker) Think of the music as only being the medium to transmit the energy wirlessly. (instead of a wire flowing with the energy, the person's own songs are the wire which create the change in people that heals them, but no physical conection necessary) ..And the person singing live as being a generator that generates energy, but it comes from nothing. Maybe it comes from thier soul or thier heart and this passion causes them to generate the energy out of love for the music or the subject of the song they are singing. This drive to keep it up allows them to perform regardless of if people accept the music. ...And the energy beings as demons/ghosts which are starving in the desert with nothing to drink or eat because this isn't thier world but they are trapped here. And since they are so powerful they need lots of food to stay alive. Like the dead aliens in Final Fantasy: Spirits Within. Sucking the souls or life energy from the beings. Now the only way to solve the energy problem is to feed the demons, and give them the means to generate that energy on thier own, since they are trapped here and thier bodies need an energy source. The energy/food isn't something physical, but spiritual. (so I think spiritua = this spiritual energy) These energy beings are from a different universe from ours, but the bodies they inhabit are physical. (like vampires they are not hungry for meat, but life energy or "souls", and this is represented through the blood flowing through our veins in those vampire movies when they try to drink it. Without blood you can't live. But instead of just blood, it is sucking the soul to keep the spirit fed as well) It may explain in macross zero why sara could make plants grow fast or levitate as thier is some force beyond the physical working behind it all to sustain life in the universe. (beyond the things we observe physically) So yeah I think everything makes sense, but my problem is they should make stuff scarier, more dark, or at least should have gone for a more serious tone. I can accept the magic in the macross shows, but still prefer the originals because of the element of danger etc I mentioned before. Basara is like a pilot of a super robot show that never falters, always does the same attack at the end of every episode, and always leads to a predictable repetitive ending which ends up being boring. In previous posts I mentioned there needs to be conflict and a struggle of some sort like what we saw in the original series. Both physical conflict and conflict in ideals within the same character to be interesting. (ie when max is forced to sympathise with the enemy and yet kills aliens too. They do this in all the gundam shows)

Haven't had the chance to read through the whole thread yet but I can agree that 7 = black sheep of the macross shows and isn't for fans who liked the originals. (being DYRL and SDF) Although I agree with those who like to see change, change for the sake of change is not always good. I think had 7 been presented in a more gritty and scary manner rather than comedy, it would have been much cooler. Ie The creatures were genuinely something to FEAR not laugh at. I mean Exedol is hiding in his little hole in the ground of the ship scared $hitless of these creatures and what we get isn't like the aliens in Tekkamon Blade, but sailormoonish type creatures. Heehee exedol is hiding from cartoony furry creatures while some kid flies around and defeats it just by singing his pop songs while riding in a garish colored mecha with a mouth in it. I still think the idea could have worked: have super beings with psychic abilities, energy barriers, dragonball type attacks, god like abilities (think of the kid in akira) , levitation, life energy that they feed off and stuff but it needed to be done with a more serious tone. BTW did anyone think the Matrix ripped off the idea of the spiritua farm project when they saw that farm of humans being used as an energy source? The concept is similar: -The agents are like devils using the humans as cattle and feeding off them by using them as batteries to stay alive. -The Protodevlin are forced to use humans as an energy source to feed from due to thier enormous power requirements. A bioweapon that can't stop eating because its own powerful body can't be sustained by the limits of the world they are trapped in. Not enough food to support such a big resource-hungry animal. Shoji: Give us a darker and grittier story next time. I want destroids trudging through alien planets and proper weapons and actual danger! Where the skill of the pilot or his training actually means something. (one on one mecha fights, ship to ship battles, chases, mystery, high death counts, epic struggles to survive etc) But don't go down the path of macross II where it was just the same thing with different wraping paper and characters.

On a related note: Do you think some fan out there who owns Macross Design works could do a translation of the text in english for people who can't read this and want to know what is being said? As for the buying of books: I can recomend macross design works as it has most of the valks and thier transformation shown that you will need. (I don't think VF0 is in it though) The hidetaka design works on the other hand has stuff on the destroids if you liked them. Piracy: I'm ok with it if the books themselves were like rare and hard to find, but if your a fan the first thing you want is to help contribute to the thing you are a fan of, so I have a contribute where you can attitude. If you are poor student maybe it is ok (I doubt anyone here can say they've never pirated anything in thier life especially when they were younger) but once you finally get working, your dollars go towards seeing more of that work and maybe helping other fans see more of it. Help on sites which have lineart: -there used to be one guy (alan mccain?) with a site dedicated to macross stuff but I think it went down. It's actually what made me want to seek out books with lineart a I was curious about the mecha in the shows and wanted detailed info on how they transform and stuff. Anyway on this site there was lineart for the valks and stuff in pretty good quality so you could at least see enough detail and know what it is you are looking at. (had thumbnails and these would blow up into bigger versions of the thumbnails) I wonder if he hangs around macrossworld and can bring it back up? -Otherwise MAHQ is pretty good place for stuff.

For cheap banpresto replacements they look ok to me. I'll probably end up getting a few. Now this is what they should have made from the beginning.

I love the variable glaug. They could easily make the three variants: 1. UN SPACY version 2. Zentradi version (more close the original glaug's look) 3. Neo Glaug.

Alt mirage looks pretty good! I hope the TF movie isn't extremely violent. Enough for a movie yes, but not just because it would be cool. It does however need lots of action. I think there should be this sense that the war isn't just between a few robots vs a few other robots but that there is a whole planet full of robots struggling against each other and that the ones we see are only in the foreground while stuff happens in the background. There shouldn't be enough time that we have the luxury of needing to think or for robots to chat and go into any great depth about who they are because poo is constantly happening for it to not matter (yet) things that need to be done: -Establish who the autobots are, why they fight, and how we got involved into the struggle when they came to earth. -why did transformation become important to them (give a good plausible reason for it) -origins of the robot aliens? -are there bad humans siding with the bad robots (decepticons) and helping them on earth like there are good humans helping the autobots? -do the aliens die if their body is destroyed? (in the animated movie it wasn't clear) -do the aliens have other methods of disguise like optic camoflage and holograms to stay hidden? You would think some things are too obvious like the big autobot symbol. Maybe they can present it in the movie like an invisible tattoo for robots that once the military stumbles upon a suspicious vehicle they can see this alien symbol and learn more about them. -action scenes which are interesting to me. Like in the intro of the cartoon where one of the autobots dashes toward the camera in car mode at high speed and then transforms into robot mode leaping with his fist for a charged punch or tackle. That is stuff you only see in comic books. I don't think we have to see any kind of dramatic deaths for it to be good. It just has to show a level where if they get damaged enough, and about to die the ole "sudden interference from another fighter" comes into play. Happens all the time in dragonball Z. Like tag team wrestling. It should be important that they show battle damage and robots needing to be repaired. Some should be tougher than others and have unique abilities and personalities. That will be the key to making us care if one gets close to death or not. I mean optimus had his dramatic entrance into the animated movie, but it was only right at the last moment - there has to be enough of the movie devoted to the decepticons kicking thier asses for the most part for it to be ok for optimus prime to shine otherwise it wouldn't be a dramatic show. It's the end of the world and only the autobots and prime have a chance to do anything about it. 2/3 of the movie = decepticons taking control. 1/3 optimus turning it around and leading the autobots to victory and foiling the decepticons plans. End the movie with both sides almost losing to each other and a dramtic finishing fight between megatron and prime like the begining of the animated movie where they are slugging it out, battledamaged and depleted of energy. I don't want to see unecessary killing, but I do want battle damage, maybe a melee fight (the robots run out of energy or are disarmed) and one on one rival type fights, as well as the usual team fighting. Not the typical shooting and missing thier targets, or shooting someone and only pushing someone away and they get up like it was nothing. That was one thing I didn't like about the cartoon. Things should get wrecked and damaged and crushed. With some damage irreparable. (a head that was chopped off and the memory was wiped = fatal. A ripped-off limb = heavy damage, but still able to fight using the weapon in thier bodies.)

Well as I mentioned there are two types of fan: robot mode and fighter mode. So it was inevitable there was going to be a tug of war over what is the ideal shape. Personally I have always gone for skinny overall frame/body (for posability reasons like crouching and stuff) with big shoulders (like a football player wearing shoulder pads) and beefy forearms. (a bit like the Qrau really) With beefy forearms the bonus you get is big hands. (for holding the gunpod?) So for me I don't mind chicken legs (these get beefed up when wearing the fast pack). As for fighter mode: I guess I got to say I am a fan of the curved neck and long wings more for aesthetic reasons. I think if the neck was slightly curved up and then down, it would make the fighter more sexy as some put it. ..But if kawamori himself says the fighter should have a beer gut who are we to stop him?

I was just saying in this other thread though: The cannon fodders in macross 7 looked cool (they had that grey tone to thier planes) but they were crap pilots. Yamato seriously needs to consider the need for a mass produced variant of LV for fans of the color imo. Or at least a new limited release of vf1 but with an S head. (weathering, stickers, panel lining etc) Maybe they could do up a Fast Pack Low Vis? Give it the look of what the CF in macross 7 had? (with actual grey fast packs and with the VF11 heatshield symbol and everything) It would be more like a "what if?" valk though. When Basara is seen flying around in a vf1 in macross 7 for the movie, you got to wonder if they had some of them as as movie props? (they took some from the civilians in the "robot show" and painted them up with grey-tone)

I wonder if at some future point yamato really does do a grey low vis scheme? (in a different tone from the limited edition and no weathering) The thing I like so much about the vf11 is partly that it has that greyish look to it. The cannon fodders were cool in macross 7 even though they got blown up all the time. And I also like a greyish-toned Roy VF1S (from the tv series where the valk looks a lil grey) So I think if they were smart: release either a VF1S grey tone TV Roy, (or a grey VF1S TV Hikaru with Tv Fast Packs which is what he had at the end after roy died) Or just do the usual "Limited release" LV thing and make the difference be the 1S head. (or don't do that, and instead make a mass produced variant in grey like they did with black stealth/credit card valk)

Anyway I do think it will look ok. Just a few refinements like the neck, wings, etc The lineart for the models has spoilt us. When it comes down to it we should all be happy it is finally being made. I do wonder if they'll have removable landing gears for a future yf21 FP release though. (will they have two sets like the 1/72? Removable ones for the FP, and non-removable ones in the plane itself?)

Sounds like a good idea. Maybe have some kind of spring mechanism? They have something like that in the hips for the 1/72 yf19, (when you try to push them apart to do an A stance), and 1/72 vf11. (shoulders) This way you can still have the beefy wheel/tyres etc. I'm thinking like what you got with the Transformers Alternator Hound. You can push Alt Hound down to the ground and he bouces back up because of the suspension. At least something strong enough to bear the weight when extended but not too strong or it will be hard to push out. My main thing is that I'm lazy. So I like to have everything in one piece and not lose the loose parts and stuff.

Well I'm happy if they leave the nose short for battroid. (fighter plane mode people said they accepted that as one compromise) But about the neck leading to the belly, if they can put a curve upwards and then downards instead of going in a straight line that would be good. Yeah so the lineart does show a bulge (on further analysis), but it would be good if the curve was there to show that the nose was fatter than its neck. You can barely see something like that for the 1/72 vf11. (and it had a tiny landing gear) So I think that it would be doable..

Maybe it was and graham didn't tell us yet. just kidding..